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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Jonathan Zirkle

Balaam’s Stumblingblock

My message today is entitled, Balaam's Stumbling Block.

If you could turn to Numbers, chapter 22.

There's a couple of really, really interesting prophets in the Bible, and I think Balaam is perhaps 1 of the most interesting ones.

He's probably an Ammonite, and he's definitely not from the area where all this story takes place.

He's from Mesopotamia, and it's just interesting to see God use different prophets that aren't Israelites.

And you can see that he's kind of a reluctant guy and maybe not of the highest virtue.

So hopefully you're in Numbers chapter 22 and let's start reading in verse 1.

Then the children of Israel moved and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.

So Moab said to the elders of Midian, now this company will lick up everything around us as an ox licks up the grass of the field.

And Balak the son of Zippor was among the Moabites at the time.

So Israel's just about ready to go into the promised land, and they've just fought an incredible battle.

The Lord's just been with them, and they've just really, really decimated the Amorites.

And so they're there, and the Moabites are concerned.

And so going on in verse 5, it says this.

Then he, that's Balak, sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor at Pether, which is near the river in the land of the sons of his people, to him saying, Look, a people has come from Egypt.

See, they cover the face of the earth and are settling next to me.

Curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me.

Perhaps I should be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.

For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner's fee in their hand and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.

So you have this this request by the king, come curse the Israelites.

And this helps us to get some insight into Balaam directly because obviously Balaam has some power.

He's obviously has some connection to the true God.

So anyway, these messengers come and this is what happens, verse 8.

And he, Balaam, said to them, "'Lodge here tonight and I will bring back word to you as the Lord speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

And when God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you?

So Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zipporah king of Moab has sent to me saying, look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they covered the face of the earth.

Perhaps I should be able to overpower them and drive them out.

And God said to Balaam, you shall not go with them.

You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.

So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, go back to your land for the Lord has refused to give my permission to go with you.

And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.

So Balaam seems to be kind of doing the right thing.

These guys come, they say, hey, come curse him.

And Balaam is, you know, this is like the highest level of a prophet when God comes to him and speaks to him.

So it's interesting though, there's a trait of human nature.

You look at the messengers when they get back and talk to Balak, they just say, Balaam refuses to come with us.

They don't tell the whole story about God telling him no.

So looking on at verse 15, Then Balak again sent princes more numerous and more honorable than they.

And they came to Balaam and said to him, thus says Balak, the son of Zippor, please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me.

Therefore, please come, curse this people for me." So Balaam is upping the ante.

He's sending more honorable people, and he's really saying, let nothing hinder you.

Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more.

Now therefore, please you also stay here tonight that I may know what more the Lord will say to me." Hasn't God already spoken?

There's a lesson in this, we're gonna see as the story unfolds.

You know, many times we want something and we ask for God's leading.

That's a dangerous thing and it's something that we should avoid.

Balaam was covetous and he wanted a different answer.

Verse 20, And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise and go with them, but only the word which I speak to you that ye shall do.

So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab." Sounds like God's blessing, right?

Moving on, verse 22, Then God's anger was aroused because He went, And the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him.

And he was riding on his donkey, and his 2 servants were with him.

Now the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand.

And the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field.

So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall.

Then the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left.

And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam.

So Balaam's anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff." And this is 1 of those stories that we all remember.

You know, we can be glad, actually, I think that we live in the days that we do.

I've ridden a donkey, and I can tell you right now, Balaam was at the mercy of that donkey.

But God uses what he has, and it's amazing to see a God that is so powerful and just uses everything.

And if only Balaam would have had the eyes of the donkey.

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, we all remember this part, And she said to Balaam, what have I done to you that you have struck me these 3 times?

And Balaam said to the donkey, because you have abused me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you.

You finally have a talking donkey, and you want to kill him.

But it says something about the state of mind that Balaam was in.

Here he is a prophet of the true God coming to curse a nation, and the donkey stands in his way.

The fact that he would want to kill this donkey really doesn't seem out of line when you think of it that way.

So the donkey said to Balaam, am I not your donkey on which you've ridden ever since I became yours to this day?

Was I ever disposed to do this to you?" And he said, no.

Then the Lord opens Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

Balaam finally sees." But does he get it?

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Balaam’s Stumblingblock

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